The present invention relates to arrowheads for hunting and the like and in particular to an improved arrowhead with retractable barbs useful for bowfishing.
Arrowheads for bowfishing may have radially extending barbs that swing rearward as the arrowhead passes through the fish, but then open to prevent the fish from slipping off of the arrow when the arrow is retrieved. In order to remove the fish from the arrow after the arrow is retrieved, the barbs may be folded forward over the arrow tip so that the arrow may be pulled backward through the fish. This forward folding of the barbs normally requires releasing a mechanical stop.
A first type of mechanical stop is released by, loosening the arrow shaft with respect to the arrowhead holding the barbs, for example, by relative rotation of a threaded coupling between the two. Separation of these components may withdraw a stop surface on the front of the arrow shaft from a stop on the barbs that normally operates to limit rotation of the barbs forward. An example of this type of stop system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,360.
In a second type of mechanical stop, a threaded connection between the arrow head holding the barbs and the sharpened arrow tip is employed. This type of stop allows the arrowhead to be permanently attached to the arrow shaft. In this stop system, the rear of the arrow tip provides a stop surface that blocks forward rotation of the barbs. Removal of the tip allows the barbs to swing forward to extract the arrow from the fish. An example of this type of stop system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,621.
In this latter design, the arrow tip, after being removed from the arrow, is subject to being dropped or misplaced as the fish is removed.